of leeds



1927. F. GROVER CONTROLLING THE FEED 0F CONTINUOUS STRIP- MATERIAL Feb. 15

Filed June 2. 1926 Patented Feb. 15,1927.

pulran STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK GROVER, 0F LEEDS, ENGLAND, ASSIGN 'OR TO THE FORGROVE MACHIN- ERY COMPANY LIMITED, 0F LEEDS. ENGLAND.

CONTROLLING THE FEED OF CONTINUOUS-STRIP MATERIAL.

Application filed June 2, 1926, Serial No. 113,142, and in Great Britain October 26, 1925.

In Letters Patent No. 1,607,528 granted November 16, 1926, a machine for inter mittently feeding a continuous strip to a severing device, where it is cut wh1lst stationary between two feeding operations, has been described. The purpose of the said machine was to separate the wrappers which had been printed on the continuous web, in correct register between thesuccesslve prints on the strip to be subdivided.

In this particular machine, the length of the portion of strip to be severed was corrooted at each operation by bringing two electric contact feelers down on to the strip, one forward of the other, so that if the forward contact feeler passed througha registering aperture in the strip which coin cided withthe printed impression, then the strip would be given a shorter feed on the next operation. If, on the other hand, the rear contact feeler passed through the hole in the strip, then'the next feed would be increased. Both these correcting operations were effected lay-contact feelers completing an electric circuit which determined the position to right or left of a magnet-operated arm located in the feed mechanism, and which by one or other of the contact feelers selected whether the longer or the shorter feed should be given.

The lengthening or shortening of the feed was effected by drawing back the strip after each cutting operation, by a small degree of reversal-of the strip feeding rollers, the increase or decrease of this reversal being controlled bythe position of the magnet operated arm.

The present invention provides means whereby a constant length of strip is normally ,fed at i-iachyoperation, and correcting mechanism to increase or decrease a single feed is oulyintroduced when sufiicient error in length of feed has accumulated. Thus, by carefully adjusting the normal length of feed, the correcting apparatus is only brought into operation after a nuniber of lengths have been fed forward, and when an error of plus or minus, having gradually accumulated, becomes sufficient to require the correction to the feed.

.In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation illustrating the electrically controlled feed with the parts in the position for successively feeding similar lengths of strip.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan of the same apparatus. and Fig. 3 is a detail view In the drawings, K, K are pivoted arms carrying metal brushes K K The arms K and K are given a rise and fall motion so asto bring the brushes K and K simultaneously down on to the strip G at each operation while the strip is stationary. Equi-distant apertures in the strip permit the brushes K or K to complete electric circuits with a stud J located below the strip, should an aperture happento be below either of the brushes K or K at the time when they are lowered. The distance between the brushes K and K is sufficient to permit an aperture in the strip G to rest between the said brushes when the strip is stationary, the distance being suflicientto allow for the aperture being somewhat in advance of the central. position between the brushes, or somewhat behind the central position, without permitting one or other of the brushes to pass through and contact with the stud J.

The strip G passes'between a pair of feed rolls D, D and intermittent motion is imparted to the feed rqlls through a spur wheel A engaging one of a pair of gears carried by the feed rolls D, D.

The face of the wheel A is formed with an outstanding annular flange A which is engaged by a rocking pawl C carried loosely in a notch in a boss C and'having an angular recess C engaging the flange A The rocking pawl C is normally held in position with its end in the notch in boss C by a spring S. The boss is loosely mounted on a stud axle, and is connected by a crank extension G and connecting rod C with a crank on the main driving) shaft of the ma-- constantly reeiprocated. An intermittent feed motion is given to the spur wheel when the rocking pawl C is moved in.-a clockwise direction by the boss C the angular recess gripping the flange A and, through the gears, driving the feed rolls D D to feed the strip G forwardly.

If when the brushes K and K are lowered, the aperture in the strip happens to be between the brushes, neither of the said brushes contacts withthe stud J and no electrical circuit is completed. If, however, the brush K when lowered passes through the aperture and contacts with the stud J a current is passed through a magnet N which attracts an arm M of a lever which is carried upon an extension L of a lever L causing the opposite arm M of the lever to be rocked opposite to a notch O in a mem her 0. This member 0 is reciprocated by means of a connecting rod C and when it is advanced the pawl C is moved in a counter-clockwise direction and passes freely over the flange A of the spur wheel A while the arm M of the lever is received into the notch 0 and pushes the said arm M thereby rocking the lever L which frictionally grips the spur wheel A, This movement carries the spur wheel in an anticlockwise direction and through gearing carried by the feed rolls D D reverses the direction of movement of the said feed rolls D D. thus causing the strip G to be drawn back a short distance. The notch 0 being the deepest of three notches O causes the member 0 to move the draw-back mechanism L L to the minimum extent. The greatest length of feed is therefore given to the strip G upon the next operation, and when the brushes K, K are next lowered, the aperture is between the brushes K K and no contact is made.

The arm M of the lever is centralized by the rise of a fork S (see Fig. 8) which is secured to and projects upwardly from the crank extension C of the boss C and when the boss C -is rocked by the connecting red C in a rearward direction the fork S rises and engages the underside of the arm M which is centralized by inclined faces formed in the fork. On the next throw of the connecting rod C the notch O in the member O is advanced to the lever arm M and the draw-hack mechanism If, L is therefore moved the normal distance. This normal distance of draw-back following each feed continues until another error has accumulated sufficient to bring one of the brushes, say K to contact through an aperture with the stud J. This causes the magnet N to be energized and to attract the arm M of the lever so as to bring the arm M opposite the shallowest notch O in the member 0. As the member 0 advances, the arm M of the lever being intercepted through a greater distance of the throw of the member 0, the draw-back mechanism L is moved to the maximum extent and the feed of the strip G is therefore reduced sufficiently to again bring the aperture centrally between the brushes K K on the'next occasion when they are lowered on to the strip.

The lever M. M being centralized by the fork S. the end M is again brought opposite theintermediate notch 0 causing the normal draw-back to be effected until an error has again accumulated sufficient to complete an electric circuit through one of the brushes K 'or K.

Instead of the strip material being perforated, a mark or bar of electrically conduct ing' material may be applied to the surface of the strip G. In such an arrangement each arm K and K would carry duplicate brushes such as K and duplicate brushes such as K and when the duplicate brushes K or K contact with the mark or bar on the strip an electric circuit would be completed and one of the magnets N or N energized without the necessity of the said brushes communicating with a stud on the opposite side of the strip.

In correcting the feed of a strip which is itself of conducting material, marks or bars of non-conducting paint or other non-conducting surface mav be applied to the strip at given intervals for the purpose of selecting whether a current be completed or not in accordance with the requirement of increasing or decreasing the length of feed to be given to the strip.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1- 1. In apparatus for feeding lengths of strip material to register with impressions on the strip wherein mechanism is provided for increasing or decreasing the length of strip to be fed at each operation. a three pos tion intercepting device in combination with a three stepped reciprocating member adapted to coact with the three position intercepting device, whereby one of three lengths of feed is selected at each operation.

2. In apparatus for feeding lengths of strip material to register with impressions on the strip wherein mechanism is provided for increasing or decreasing the length of strip to be fed at each operation, the combination of a three position intercepting device, a three stepped reciprocating member adapted to coact with the three position intercepting device, and a fork carried on a rocking portion of the mechanism and located so as to engage the intercepting device to return it to the central position after a side position has been operated for correcting the length of strip delivered.

3. In apparatus for feeding lengths of strip material to register with impressions on the strip wherein mechanism is provided strip to be fed at each operation, a three poformed in the face of said member to coact Jny hand.-

for increasing or decreasing the length of tion to return the leverto the central position during thenext operation following the l sition intercepting 1ever,' electroma nets for rocking of the lever 'to one side or the other rocking the lever into a right or eft posiside by one mother of the magnets. tion', a reciprocating member having notches In witness whereofI have hereunto set with said pivoted lever in any of its three positions, and a fork rocked at'each opera FREDERICK GROVERQ 

